Spring-manipulating tool



1. MADDEN AND E. 1. CANFIELD.

SPRING MANIPULATING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10. I919.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

JOHN MADDEN AND EDWIN T. GANFIELD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SPRING-MANIIULA'IING TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

Application filed September 10, 1919. Serial No. 322,863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN ,MADDEN and EDWIN JQCANFIELD, citizens of the United States-of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Spring-Manipulating Tools, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. I

The primary object of our invention is to provide a spring manipulating tool, somewhat in the form of tongs that may be easily and safely used for retracting or distending a spring, particularly a spring associated with a valve to maintain the valve normally seated. Such valves may be found in corn nection with various types of internal combustion engines, wherein the valves control the intake and exhaust of fuel and gases to and from the cylinders of the engine, and sometimes a valve seat must be cleaned, ground or renewed to insure a positive seating of the valve. To do this it is necessary to either remove the valve or temporarily release the same so that the valve may be freely moved relative to the valve seat. As the valves are constantly under the influence of springs whose expansive force maintains the valves normally seated, it is necessary to retract or place under additional tension a spring so as to release the valve associated therewith. Some tools have been designed for this purpose but our invention aims to improve the general class of such tools by providing a double acting tool that may be used without any danger of the tool slipping during its use.

A further object of our invention is to provide a spring manipulating tool having novel spring engaging jaws and a novel locking member, said member being designed to lock the handles of the tool and in one instance serve as a wedge member for forcing the handles apart. As with all tools of this nature the same must be constructed to withstand rough usage and at the same time embody a construction which permits of manufacture at comparatively small cost.

Our invention will be hereinafter more fully described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tool in position relative to a valve, for retracting a spring associated therewith;

' Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the valve spring retracted and the handles of the tool locked together; w

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the tool as shown'in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of one of the jaws of the tool, taken on the line 4l4 of Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the handles of the tool, showing a locking' member holding the handles against separation;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the looking member interposed between the handles of the tool; I Fig. 7 is a perspective'view of thelocking member, and j Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the tool on the same scale as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, showing another manner of using the tool.

Our tool comprises a comparatively straight handle bar 1 and an angular handle bar 2, said angular handle bar having its outer angular portion 3 pivotally connected to the handle bar 1 by a pin 4: or other pivotal means, so that the inner ends of the handle bars 1 and 2 may be in proximity to each other.

The outer ends of the handle bars 1 and 2 are forked or bifurcated to provide comparatively fiat jaws 5 and 6, respectively, and these jaws are slightly concaved or curved, as best shown in Fig. 8, so as to provide a seat for the end convolutions 7 of a coiled spring 8 and thus prevent the end convolutions of the spring from slipping off of the jaws of the tool, When said jaws extend between the convolutions of the spring and washers, valve heads or other structures associated with a valve 9 which has its stem or rod 10 surrounded by the spring 8 and under the influence thereof.

As further increasing the gripping or seating action of the-jaws, the jaws 5 of the handle bar 1 have the inner edges thereof beveled or inclined, as at 11, to provide faces on which the convolutions of a spring may easily seat and thus permit of the jaws conforming to the angular disposal of the convolution of the spring. This will be again referred to when considering the use of the tool.

Slidable on the inner end of the angular handle bar 2 is a locking member, comprising a sleeve 12, and an arm 13 having a recess 14 and a hook 15, said recess being in the end of the arm 13, and the hook ofiset at one side. of said arm. The sleeve 12 is loose on the outer end of the handle bar 2 and may be turned thereon or moved longitudinally of said bar, tl1e longitudinal outward move} mentofsaid locking member beinglimited.

by a head or upset portion 16 at the inner end of the bar. 7

Considering the use of the tool, the shape of the handle bars 1 and 2*permits of the 'tool being conveniently usedatthe side of an internal combustion engine, it being a well known fact that the valve springs are often housed in the cylinder blocker inclosed by a cylinder head on the cylinder block rendering it' extremely difiicult to reach the springs by a straight pair of tongs. So, by having the handle bar 2 angular it is possible to maintain the jaws 5'and 6 in a horizontalplane while the handle bars extend at an angle to such plane.

' As shown in Fig, 1, the jaws 5 have been.

interposed between the upper convolution 7 of thespring 8 and the wall of an engine body orvalve head, while the jaws 6 have been interposed between the lower convolution 7 of the spring 8 and pin 17, washer or other device carried by the valve rod or stem liberatingthe valve'rodor stem 10 so that the valve 9 may be freely raised, rotated or removed. In so using the tool, the jaws 5 and 6 are moved toward each other to compress the spring 8, but in some instances it is necessary to move the jaws 5 and 6' away from each other to compress the spring, as

'ment of said handles;

shown Fig. 8. In this instance, one set of jaws is placed betweenthe adj acentend conv'olutions of the spring and the other set oi jaws.- between a valve head or engine body.

The locking member is then positioned behandle'bar 1 will-engage in the IQCGSS'll-l of j the locking member, asshown in Fig. 6. *By' pushing inwardly on the locking member it has a wedging actionbetween the handle bars l and 2fto separatesaid handle bars and thereby separate the sets of jaws 5 and 6, soth'at while one set of jawsfis held the tween the handle bars 1 and 2 sothat the I otherset of jaws will compress or retract the 7 spring and release the valverodor stem.

We attach considerable importance to the:

locking member as' it prevents the handle bars from injuring the hands manipulating said bars by said handle bars slipping- (lure ing the operation of compressing,retracting or dlstendlng aspring.

One embodiment of our invention has been illustrated, but it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible. to such variations and modifications as fall within I the scope of the appended claim. What we claim is The combination of tongs having pivot-.

ally connected handles with'one of said handles provided withahead, a sleeveloo'se' on the handle to slide between the head andthe pivot of thehandle, and an arm carried by said sleeve and having a recess to receive the other handle and prevent a closing move- In testimony-whereof weaflix our signa:-

Itures in presence of two witnesses;-

JOHN MADDEN. j EDWIN J. CANFIELD,

V fitnesses: ANNA M'. 'DonR,'

-KARL H. BUTLER; 

